Alphen aan den Rijn 08-02-2009
With the highest temperatures ever , up to 47 dgr. C. in Victoria ,the S.S.E of Australia struggled with the heat this last week and still stuggles and HOW!!!!!!
For sure you would not mind that I am pretty sad about the huge bush fires in Victoria and NSW. I still see Australia as my second home-country and Tocumwal as my second home-town.
Till now “ASH-WEDNESDAY” in 1983 was the worst , if we talk bush-fires! I think 75 people got killed then and it is written in every-bodies mind!!! Even in mine, though my first visit to OZ was in December 1984. But somewhere deep in my heart I have the feeling that these wild bush-fires are an even worse disaster. From my friend Margie I just heard , that “55 people are known to be dead already”. Hundreds of houses and personal belongings….gone!!!And what about all the animals living in the bush!!!!! Very sad!!!!”
It is a bit tragic that we love the heat for our beautiful sport of gliding, while others hate it and are anxious already when they see the “total-fire-ban-signs”.
For some of the pilots in OZ, this very hot weather is an extra bonus in the end of the overseas season for their long distance-flying. It is pretty unusual to fly a 1000 km. flight in the beginning of February as the days are really getting shorter, but using “everything” some pilots managed to do so. Great effort!!!! On the other hand with such searing temperatures, where can you be better then high up in the cool air.
On the other hand, parts of Queensland , in the East of Australia, suffer too and are TOTALLY flooded and warnings for snakes and crocodiles on the search for food and dry land have gone out.Poor Australia, one part in fire, one in water!!!
With the “red” wind up to 60 plus km /h. on the ground it all started a couple of days ago again.I have been once in such a “blizzard”, where the fire goes with the speed of the wind. It hit Tocumwal and we were surrounded by fire at the airfield. NO way to go anywhere!!!! TRAPPED….. REALLY TRAPPED and that “horrible” feeling of 53 dgr. C.!!!!
So with wet blankets, we were waiting on the side of the pool to jump in when the fire would hit and fly over…..January 3 it was in 1990 or 91!!!!! We were lucky that the fire-brigade and the hundreds of volunteers helped out around the town to stop the fires.The fires even managed to jump OVER the Murray River .
Also due to the fact that the wind direction changed, the old beautiful WWII hangar was saved. But the poor sheep at the airfield all had to be killed , as the speed-fire burnt their eyes and legs. The smell of burnt flesh from the poor kangaroos was dreadful. A memory I will never ever forget!
For sure pilots from Lasham would have loved to be in OZ, as they suffer from the worst snow up to 22 cm. in London. Not “ever” ,as in 1963 there was 33 cm. and in 1982 28 cm.
Reason for this extreme weather is ,as they told me, that very active depressions / showers activate the cold freezing air over the Noord- sea and they are pushed to the south -east of the UK by a strong Easterly. The South East even got 30 cm. of snow. Nice for the kids, not so much for the traffic, whatever train, car or plane. And….it is not over yet!
I read over the last 2 weeks with great enthusiasm the stories from Vincent Dolfin. I know his family well and it is refreshing to “see” how a young Dutch guy from just 34 years old on his first trip to Australia and his first real long distance flying, looks at this for him new world. Indeed very refreshing, outgoing and with self-discipline and self-knowledge!
I quote a few words about his last flight on February 6:
” It is over! What a great flight to finish this holiday, what a beautiful day! Clear blue and an early start! A bit difficult in the beginning, but then…”full on” and up to 3600 m. and go-go-go!!!Straight up to the North and back. The thermal activity stopped pretty early today , but I managed to get home without problems. One final circle around the field and the last landing for the season on Corowa airfield”
He is grateful for the possibilities he had and the experiences and for “this fantastic adventure”!!!! Luckily it is not too cold when he arrives back in Holland, though light wet snow might welcome him.
He is THE example of being on the right time , at the right spot. Perfect gliding weather nearly every day and when soaring is impossible due to the smoke of the fires , he had just left again.
Next week we look at the statistics from the season 2008 / 2009, for whatever they are worth!!!!
I will try, in my way, to evaluate the overseas season brought to ALL of us by the OLC. Pilots have put their flights ON the OLC to share them with us! That’s correct , is n’t it!?
That’s it for now, I am not the fittest person in the world at the moment, so see you next week in better conditions, also with the flooding and wild bush-fires.
And ……compliments to a for me totally unknown UK pilot, who managed to fly his first 1000 km . [1159] flight in NZ, starting from Omarama in a discus 2 and enjoying in the end the great view from 24.000 ft. While flying, he says , he even “found” Australian-bush-fire-smoke” in the wave, so not the very best visibility on lower and medium level.
Cheers Ritz